Background Check Services

Choosing a background check services company should be done with care. There are many Internet businesses offering “instant nationwide” background checks for low fees, yet not all of these are of the same caliber. Look for a screening company that is about information and quality rather than big claims and promises.

The most important thing is to have the company provide not only what they will check for you in terms of the subject’s background, but where and how. A background check services company that is overcharging and under-searching may be hesitant to tell you that only one database and perhaps one other source is all they’ve used. The best background check company for you will meet your needs using many search sources depending on whether you’re doing a nanny, dating, tenant, employment or other type of screening search.

Personalized Search
Look for a background check services company that will communicate with you about your screening needs. The first thing you need to find out is what types of checks they do as not all companies do every type of search. Virtually all of these companies will check for misdemeanors and felonies, but not all will search for a marriage license or do interviews to look into the subject’s character. If you don’t need those services, that’s one thing, but if you do, you don’t want to assume they’re provided as they probably won’t be.

There are other considerations such as that background check services should include address histories of your subject as well as have a wide range of records checked. There are birth, marriage, divorce, sex and violent offenses, business, driving and many other possibilities to cover in a background check. Again, not all of them may be necessary depending on your reason for the check, but not having marriage and divorce certificates verified when you want a dating background check is going to mean poor service for you.

Background check services companies should ask you for as much data about the subject as possible. They should be specific with the spelling of your subject’s name to avoid false results. If you can provide the service with the subject’s Social Security Number, sex and race as well as any maiden names or aliases, this data will help increase the quality of your background check results.

Surprise, Surprise
Avoid surprises by verifying with a company what they will cover in your check. Look for a background check services firm that will answer your questions and take the time to communicate with you. What seems obvious as far as background checks go, may not be. For example, many companies that offer “instant nationwide” searches use only one database and this means that many states and areas in which your subject could have arrest or other data may be missed.

A surprisingly low number of popular online background check services companies include employment history coverage in their checks. Yet, if your subject is an employee or volunteer, this information is going to be crucial to you. The best background check company will meet your needs by offering value in a comprehensive, up to date search.